(For Day 17 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for a poem inspired by a piece of music and sharing its title. But being rather late and tired, I instead decided to honor International Haiku Poetry Day and keep this entry short.)
Bets and debts galore
Wring romance from selfishness.
Gambling pays off.
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MPA rating: Approved (should be PG)
Out of the many many musicals from the Golden Age of Hollywood, there are a select few that became institutions in my house growing up, the likes of The Music Man, Singin’ in the Rain, and The Wizard of Oz. As I work on my own musical project, I read a book recently about the merits of various musical productions, and the author had tremendous respect for Guys and Dolls, Frank Loesser’s ‘50s-streetwise adaptation of two Damon Runyon short stories. It was a show/film I had never bothered to seek out, at least until his glowing recommendation.
The plot focuses on two couples, gamblers Nathan Detroit (Frank Sinatra) and Sky Masterson (Marlon Brando) and their would-be lady loves, nightclub singer Miss Adelaide (Vivian Blaine, reprising her stage role) and evangelist Sergeant Sarah Brown (Jean Simmons). Evading his fiancee’s marriage hopes and trying to scrape together enough money for a secret craps game venue, Detroit bets Masterson that he can’t woo the self-righteous Sarah Brown into a Cuban dinner date, even as she struggles to save her urban mission from closure. Naturally, none of the plans go quite as anticipated.
The book I read praised Guys and Dolls as theatrical plotting at its best, with composer Frank Loesser and book writers Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows masterfully weaving two storylines that depended on each other for resolution. With its idiosyncratic dialogue and shifting focus, I can see the reason for the veneration on a technical level, but I do think the two stories aren’t equally interesting. While Sinatra nails the crooning as expected (his character given more singing opportunities than on stage, I understand), I didn’t really care about his plight of scheduling a gambling venue while being a commitment-fearing jerk toward his long-suffering lover Adelaide (whose voice is also rather grating).
I much preferred the parallel story of Sky Masterson and Sarah Brown. I hadn’t seen Brando in a romantic role before, much less singing, but he had quite the swagger back then, and Simmons is wonderful as the priggish believer who gradually lets her hair down a little. Their banter and romance are the best part of the film, along with Loesser’s array of classic showtunes like “Luck Be a Lady,” “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” and the title song. I think I’ve developed a soft spot for Sarah’s “If I Were a Bell” especially. Yet despite its good points, Guys and Dolls suffers from being overlong and only half-interesting, weakened further by an oddly rushed ending. It’s a bona fide classic, but some parts are more classic than others.
Best line: (Detroit, urging his friend to speak at the mission) “Southstreet, give your testimony.” (Benny Southstreet) “I plead the fifth commandment.”
Ranking: List Runner-Up
© 2024 S.G. Liput
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